This page is being rewritten. The following is an earlier version from March, 2006.

A class can take a virtual field trip online to a museum, art gallery, or outdoor site. The following are some sites that may be interesting to use with units you will be studying. Although some of these sites are searchable, the search covers the complete site and is generally not more productive in locating information for the elementary level than just browsing.

African Primates at Home ..........
http://www.indiana.edu/~primate/primates.html
Grades 3-6. Pictures and sounds of monkeys, chimpanzees, and gorillas in their native habitat, with information on each of the animals.

Butterfly Conservatory ..........
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/butterflies/
Grades 4 and up. This American Museum of Natural History exhibit features a virtual tour, movie clips, live cam, facts, downloadable screensavers, and a report done by a 10th grade visitor. Some features require a plug-in but use is well explained

Exploratorium ..........
http://www.exploratorium.edu/
Grades 4 and up. This museum of science, art and human perception in San Francisco has designed online versions of exhibits and hundreds of offline activities. Scheduled live Webcasts offer additional virtual field trip possibilities. Searchable.

Field Museum of Natural History ..........
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/exhibits/online_exhib.htm
Grades 4-8. Current exhibits include an environmental science unit entitled Underground Adventure which is targeted at grade 5, lions of Tsavo, items from anthropology collections, butterflies, and Sue, the famous Tyrannosaurus Rex. Some pages require a plug-in.

Field Trip Factory ..........
http://www.fieldtripfactory.com/
Grades k-6. Not a virtual trip, but online resources and arrangements for a real-world free field trip if available in your geographical area. Field trip themes include: animal welfare (Petco), literacy (Borders), auto safety (Saturn dealers), healthy lifestyle (Albertson’s), nutrition & environment (Wild Oats), consumer choicies (Wal-Mart), nutrition (A&P and others).

Franklin Institute Science Museum of Philadelphia ..........
http://sln.fi.edu/
Grades 3 and up. Click on “Learn” for virtual exhibits on the heart and Benjamin Franklin’s accomplishments. Click on “Explore” for a collection of materials about the Wright Brothers and a collection of scientific instruments. Many online resources for teachers.

Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village ..........
http://www.hfmgv.org/
Grades 4 and up. To tour exhibits, click on Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, or Ford Rouge Factory Tour in the top banner. Click Explore and Learn for online exhibits and interactive modules useful in the classroom. Various games and activities are embedded in the exhibit information. grades 4 and up

Marshmallow Peeps Factory Tour ..........
http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/about/factory_tour.html/
Grades 3-4. A quick slide show tour shows how these candy creatures are created. Site also includes fun facts, a company timeline, and recipes. Attractive, but almost crosses the line to advertising in the guise of information. Requires Macromedia Shockwave.

Michigan 4-H Children's Garden ..........
http://4hgarden.msu.edu/kidstour/credits.html
Grades k-5. Virtual reality garden tour with lots of online activities and games. An apple icon along the tour indicates information for the teacher. Some stories are no longer available, and having the book at hand would be a plus when using this section. Requires Quicktime &/or Flash.

Museum of Science and Industry in Chicaco ..........
http://www.msichicago.org/
Grades 4 and up. Click “Exhibits” in the menu directly under the title. Some exhibits are interactive (The Great Train Story, NetWorld, The Farm), some are informative slide shows (All Aboard the Silver Streak), and some consist of a few pictures of the museum exhibit. Check the “Archives” at the bottom of the list for more exhibits.

National Museum of American History ..........
http://www.americanhistory.si.edu/
Grades 3 and up. Many virtual exhibits, hands-on-history activities, and a clickable timeline with artifacts. The exhibit The Price of Freedom: Americans at War has interesting resources for students and for teachers. A few activities require Flash or Quicktime and have buttons to download if you don’t have. Searchable.

Odyssey Online ..........
http://carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/
Grades 4-8. Uses museum objects to describe culture of Near East, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Sub-Saharan Africa, or Ancient Americans. Information about people, mythology, daily life, rituals, communication, archeology is written for elementary and middle school students. Includes activities and links. Teacher section with tips for teaching with museum objects and the Internet. Some pages require a plug-in.

Questacon ..........
http://www.questacon.edu.au/Kids.asp
Grades 3-6. Provided by the National Science and Technology Centre in Australia. Experiments, activities, and illusions in the Fun Zone. Clicking on Exhibitions has a link for a virtual reality field trip through the museum.

SeaWorld/Busch Gardens - Animals ..........
http://www.seaworld.org/
Grades k-8. Animal facts, sounds, and you-are-there reports. Teacher guides for different age groups k-8. Students use the “Animal Info” section, as well as the Fun Zone for activities.

© 2003-2007, Mary Berry.
Merry Bee grants permission for nonprofit use of this page from http://www.merrybee.info/